Expanding Assault Protections for Healthcare Providers in Correctional Facilities
Summary
Kentucky HB188 was signed into law on April 3, 2026, expanding third-degree assault provisions to cover physical injury or attempted injury to healthcare providers working in jails, penitentiaries, or correctional facilities under KRS 508.025. The bill also amends KRS 65.1591 to extend peer support counseling program eligibility to jailers, deputy jailers, and correctional officers employed by local or regional detention facilities.
What changed
HB188 amends KRS 508.025 to expand the definition of assault in the third degree to include causing or attempting to cause physical injury to a healthcare provider while in a jail, penitentiary, or local or state correctional or detention facility. The bill also amends KRS 65.1591 to add jailers, deputy jailers, and correctional officers employed by local detention centers, local correctional facilities, or regional jails to the list of public safety employees eligible to participate in peer support counseling programs.
Healthcare facilities and correctional institutions should immediately review and update their safety protocols and training programs to account for these enhanced assault protections for healthcare workers. Facility administrators should implement expanded peer support counseling programs for eligible correctional personnel under the amended statute provisions. The bill passed unanimously (97-0 House, 38-0 Senate) during the 2026 Regular Session.
What to do next
- Update correctional facility safety protocols to reflect enhanced assault protections for healthcare providers
- Implement peer support counseling programs for eligible jailers, deputy jailers, and correctional officers
- Review and revise incident response procedures for assaults on healthcare providers in correctional settings
Penalties
Third-degree assault penalties under KRS 508.025 apply to violations; specific penalty amounts are defined in the statute.
Source document (simplified)
ChangeBridge / Kentucky / HB188 Signed by Governor HB188 House Bill Signed by Governor 2026-04-03
AN ACT relating to public safety.
Amend KRS 508.025 to expand assault in the third degree to include causing or attempting to cause physical injury to a healthcare provider in a jail, penitentiary, or local or state correctional or detention facility; amend KRS 65.1591 to add jailers, deputy jailers, and correctional officers employed by a local detention center, local correctional facility, or regional jail to the list of public safety employees eligible to participate in a peer support counseling program.
Bill Details
State Kentucky
Session 2026 Regular Session
Chamber House
Official Source apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26RS/hb188....
LegiScan View on LegiScan
Sponsors
Kevin Jackson (Rep - R) Robert Duvall (Rep - R) Daniel Elliott (Rep - R) David Hale (Rep - R) John Hodgson (Rep - R) Scott Lewis (Rep - R) Shawn McPherson (Rep - R) Michael Meredith (Rep - R) Kimberly Moser (Rep - R) Steve Riley (Rep - R) Wade Williams (Rep - R)
Action History
2026-04-03 H signed by Governor 2026-03-26 H delivered to Governor 2026-03-26 H enrolled, signed by President of the Senate 2026-03-26 H enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House 2026-03-26 H received in House 2026-03-25 S 3rd reading, passed 38-0 2026-03-24 S posted for passage in the Consent Orders of the Day for Wednesday, March 25 2026 2026-03-20 S 2nd reading, to Rules as a consent bill 2026-03-19 S reported favorably, 1st reading, to Consent Calendar 2026-03-16 S to Judiciary (S) 2026-02-06 S to Committee on Committees (S) 2026-02-06 S received in Senate 2026-02-05 H 3rd reading, passed 97-0 with Floor Amendment (1) 2026-02-04 H posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, February 05 2026 2026-02-03 H floor amendment (1) filed 2026-01-29 H 2nd reading, to Rules 2026-01-28 H reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar 2026-01-14 H to Judiciary (H) 2026-01-07 H to Committee on Committees (H) 2026-01-07 H introduced in House
Votes
2026-02-05 House: Veto Override RCS# 57 Yea: 97 Nay: 0 2026-03-25 Senate: Third Reading RSN# 3995 Yea: 38 Nay: 0
Committee Referrals
2026-01-07 H Committee On Committees 2026-01-14 H Judiciary 2026-01-29 H Rules 2026-02-06 S Committee on Committees 2026-03-16 S Judiciary 2026-03-20 S Rules
Amendments
0000-00-00 House Floor Amendment
Bill Text Versions
0000-00-00 Introduced 0000-00-00 Engrossed
Subjects
Corrections and Correctional Facilities, State Counties Crime Victims Crimes and Punishments Health and Medical Services Jails and Jailers Local Government Mental Health Occupational Safety and Health Corrections Impact Local Mandate Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
Named provisions
Related changes
Source
Classification
Who this affects
Taxonomy
Browse Categories
Get Government General alerts
Weekly digest. AI-summarized, no noise.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
Get alerts for this source
We'll email you when Kentucky Legislative Events publishes new changes.